ELEVEN months.
Eleven months have come and gone since I have seen you last.
Wow, I hadn’t realized just how much time had passed until I sat down to write this letter to you.
Not only 11 months, but 330 days. Not only 12 countries, but 4 different continents. Not only you or me, but hundreds of lives changed and touched by the transforming power of Christ’s love in and through us.
As I sit here on an island off the coast of Indonesia, staring into the most beautiful shade of endless green rice fields, I am filled with gratitude. Filled with gratitude-
FOR.
YOU.
Thank you.
Thank you for sending me. Thank you for sending me out into the nations.
Thank you for allowing me to step into and not only walk but run in and towards the calling that the Lord has given me.
I wish that I had a way to allow you to relive and experience all of the things that the Lord has allowed me and the other 23 people on this crazy journey, to experience over these past almost 11 months now. I have tried my best through blogs and social media, but all of that falls so very short of seeing and experiencing the glory of God Himself.
But nevertheless, I will try to pinpoint some of the biggest impacts that YOUR GIFT and step of faith has made over the past 11 months.
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras Ministry Video
Nicaragua
We had the incredible opportunity to partner with REAP GRANADA this month (November)! We did everything from:
- Working on their local plantain farm that employs and empowers locals to make a living for themselves and their families.
- Ministering to and baptizing almost 40 prisoners during prison ministry
- Hospital ministry with mothers and babies
- Prayer walks around the local impoverished communities
- Lots of children’s ministry
- As well as encouraging fellow missionaries!
For more info about this INCREDIBLE ministry click on this link to their website!
Here’s a link to the blog I wrote about our time in the prison! So powerful!
The Hope Locked Inside a Nicaraguan Prison
Cote d’Ivoire
Wow. Probably my favorite ministry on the race so far! This month (December), we got to come along side local pastors and church members in the West African port city of Abidjan. They are running this incredibly unique ministry that goes out and evangelizes to all the truck drivers! There are hundreds of men who sit with their trucks in these ports for days to sometimes even a month long waiting for their shipments. They come from all over West Africa and the majority are Muslim. My team and I were able to share the Gospel message with over 300 men and women during the 4 short weeks we were there and by the grace of God 57 men and 1 woman gave their hearts to Jesus.
Here is the story of just one of the men who we saw come to Christ this month!
And here is a link to an awesome ministry VIDEO of our time in Nicaragua and Cote d’Ivoire!
Ghana
This month (January) was refreshing coming into Ghana! The only English speaking country on our route! Despite the lack of language barrier, the thick West African accents still made communicating slightly difficult and at times humorous- especially when I found myself in a hospital bed overnight with malaria. You can take this moment to pause and thank the good Lord for hospitals in America that keep chickens out of patient rooms 😉
Here’s a bit more of the story if you’d like to know 🙂
When God Asks You to Ask Him for Healing
The rest of the month was spent partnering with a local Pentecostal church in the small town of Sunyani, in the northwestern corner of the country. Our team participated in worship and lots of children’s ministry. Almost every day was spent out on those red dirt roads, walking through the villages and communities, inviting all who would to join us for church!
Nepal
Wow. Okay so this month (February) is simply impossible to explain in words. God is SO crazy good and His plans and dreams for our lives are SO MUCH BIGGER than we could ever imagine! Don’t believe me? Read about how this month God allowed me and five of my squad mates to hike EVEREST BASE CAMP and end up saving a life while we were up there!
Saving A Life on Everest PART 1
Saving A Life on Everest PART 2
Emergency Helicopter Evac Video
India
India was AMAZING. One of my favorite months (March) for sure! I discovered that I love curry! Squatty potties aren’t the worst thing in the world. And my parents actually survived a week here visiting me! Thank you Lighthouse Family Worship Center for helping bring them out here on the field to do ministry with me and my squad!
For the majority of the month my team and I were out in the village. Our housing was very primitive. We actually tented on our host home’s concrete roof! We had no running water, only water from the well, which you know what that means- bucket showers! We also ate curry for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day! With no silverware! Only with our hands!
We lived with a husband, wife, their two children, and ten other orphan boys that they had taken into their home! In the evenings we traveled around to the other villages and preached and shared our testimonies at tiny house churches! Wandanaluu!! (‘Praise the Lord’ in Telugu, the native Indian tongue spoken where we were).
My parents were able to join us in ministry with a special needs orphanage in the heart of Hyderabad, called Sara’s Covenant Homes!
90% of India remains completely UNREACHED by the good news of the Gospel! The mission field is real here! The government is not accepting of Christianity and is doing it’s best to flush it out and keep it out of their country. It was so cool to be able to pioneer house churches and help encourage Christian Indians actually living out daily persecution.
Please keep India in your prayers.
Thailand
We were in Thailand not too long ago! Just last month actually (April). This month was all squad month! So all 23 of us were living and doing ministry together and in the same place. The adventures in missions Thailand base is actually where we called home for the month! So we were able to live with the pioneer and long term missionaries there and encourage and learn from them! The base is actually a hostel and cafe! The month looked different for everyone. There were several ministry opportunities:
- Special needs children orphanage care
- Red light district prayer walks and women’s ministry
- Practical help around the hostel and café (odd jobs, projects, handiwork)
- Learning about business in missions
- Street evangelism
- Babysitting Missionary Babies
Malaysia
This month (May) we had the incredibly unique opportunity to go and do whatever the Lord led us to do! That’s right, no set ministry! No host! Just praying and listening to the Lord’s still small voice.
This led us to a small island about 2 hour ferry ride off the coast of Malaysia! It is a very small island, only about 50 or so square miles. Only 400 people live on this island and they are all about as local as it gets! And most are Muslim.
So what did we do on this island? Well, we like to call it, “life is ministry”. To prepare for coming back home to the States, our squad mentor has really challenged us to see what ministry looks like in day to day life. So, that’s exactly what we did while we were here!
We prayed and prepared devotionals each morning as a team- prayed for the Lord’s leading and guidance and divine appointments! We walked around the island, either praying or just smiling at people as we go. We made friends with several people here and openly talked with them about Jesus! Which that in and of itself is a miracle since converting to Christianity or even evangelism is technically illegal and can send you to jail.
Life as ministry on this island was beautiful!
Australia
These two weeks (end of May, beginning of June) we partnered with the YWAM (Youth With A Mission) base in Darwin in the Northern Territory! This was an awesome experience! A highlight of this ministry was being able to go out into the indigenous (Aboriginal) communities and share the love of Jesus with the sweet kiddos and pray and encourage with the adults struggling with drug and alcohol addiction.
Indonesia
This is where I currently find myself.. with less than two weeks left on this incredible, grand adventure that God has so graciously allowed me to be a part of.
I have spent a lot of these past few days in prayer and reflection about the past 11 months and also…
About what is to come next…
